Mysterious "wonders" remaining at the bottom of the sea

The stories hidden behind each historical relic make them even more fascinating.

At the bottom of rivers, lakes, and the vast ocean, there are still extremely valuable ᴀssets of human history. These are the cities of ancient civilizations. Among them, there are cities that were submerged by terrible earthquakes, tsunamis, or natural disasters that occurred thousands of years ago.

These wonders have only been discovered by humans in the last 2 decades. Until now, they are still topics that scientists research and debate about the history of human civilization.

Below are some of the wonders of ancient civilizations that are deep under the water:

1. Cleopatra’s Palace in Alexandria, Egypt

In 1996, archaeologists unexpectedly discovered Cleopatra’s legendary palace at a depth of 10 – 15m under the sea outside the port of Alexandria, Egypt.

Divers have found thousands of historical artifacts, including 26 sphinxes, large granite structures weighing up to 56 tons each, and what is believed to be the lights from the Alexandria lighthouse.

Apart from some salvaged artifacts, most of the ruins of the palace complex of Cleopatra – the famous Egyptian queen who lived in the 1st century BC – are still submerged deep under water.

Scientists believe that earthquakes and tidal waves more than 1,500 years ago sank the entire vast royal city to the bottom of the sea, along with works of art, statues, and other parts of Cleopatra’s palace.

2. Samabaj Ruins, Lake Aтιтlan, Guatemala

While exploring the underwater archaeological site of Samabaj in 1996, Guatemalan divers found many intact ceramics with beautiful colors and impressive carvings despite having spent thousands of years at the bottom of Lake Aтιтlan.

According to many researchers, these artifacts were once present on an island that also contained the Samabaj ruins until a catastrophic event such as a volcanic eruption or landslide caused the lake level to rise and submerge the island, about 1,700 years ago.

3. The World’s Most Dangerous City – Port Royal, Jamaica

Sometimes catastrophic events leave behind shipwrecks or cargo in the ocean, preserving a moment in time. This is considered one of the advantages that greatly helps the field of archaeology.

Founded in 1518, Port Royal (Jamaica) was a major shipping and commercial hub in the Caribbean during the second half of the 17th century.

Once known as “The Most Dangerous City on Earth” because of its concentration of pirates and prosтιтutes, the luxurious port city of Port Royal was a favorite target of notorious pirates from all over the world.

Destroyed and partially submerged after an earthquake in 1692, excavations have yielded valuable historical material for maritime archaeologists.

4. The Sunken Temples of Mahabalipuram, India

In April 2002, a large ruin was discovered off the coast of Mahabalipuram in Tamil Nadu, South India. Archaeologists examined each site and found square and triangular stones and a large platform with a ladder leading up to the top…

Historians believe that this temple system dates back to the Pallava dynasty, around the 7th century BC. The Pallavas are famous for building many temples in Mahabalipuram and Kanchipuram.

Legend has it that, out of jealousy, the great gods sent a great flood to submerge this chain of 7 splendid temples. The Shore Temple was once the only remaining temple of the 7 temples, the other 6 temples were submerged in the Bay of Bengal. However, the tsunami of December 2004 affected this temple.

5. Underwater City of Yonaguni Jima, Japan

This ruin was discovered by a diving guide in 1995, on the southern coast of Yonaguni, Japan. The particular attraction is that this structure is considered a man-made work of art made of solid stone, estimated to be about 8,000 years old.

These structures appear to have been carved right into the rock, their arches made of beautiful stone blocks similar to the architectural construction of the Inca civilization.

6. Ancient city of Pavlopetri, Greece

The ancient city of Pavlopetri lies off the southern coast of Laconia, Greece. The ruins are at least 2,800 years old, and include intact buildings, streets, temples, and some 37 Mycenaean period (1600 – 1150 BC) rock tombs. The ancient city is believed to have been submerged around 1,000 BC.